JUNE 2019 SEEDWORLD.COM / 45 WHEN I VISIT the United States, I am bom- barded with the sentiment that “corn is king.” When I travel through Western Canada, canola is king. I would like to suggest that CONTENT is king, and if you are not focused on building good con- tent around you, your business and your audience, your business is in jeopardy. Positioning yourself as an expert to your target audience has never been more critical — your cus- tomers and potential customers have more options at their fingertips than ever before. How do you differentiate and decide who best fits your needs? Creating and curating content is a time-con- suming process but one that tells the story of who you are. Five years ago, all I heard from the ag sector was, “Why should I have to tell my story?” Now all I hear is, “Can you please help us tell our story!” Successful companies know how critical it is to tell their story and how critical it is to continue to improve storytelling skills within their organization and when talking to clients. Unsuccessful compa- nies don’t bother to tell their story. Gone are the days where you can just sell or advertise yourself to success. Your customers and potential customers are out there learning about your competition and learning why they do what they do. You must tell your story on a virtually con- stant basis and if you are not doing that, someone else is doing it for you. Developing quality content that tells people who you are can be tailored to any format you want to show it on, social media, blog, print or one of the many other options available, to ensure your story is shared to your target audience. Everyone can be a storyteller! What do you want to share? Why do you want someone to know that information? What is your primary goal as you share your story? Define those pieces up- front and then work to bring it to life. SHAWN BROOK PRESIDENT, CREATE BY ISSUES INK @shawn_brook sbrook@issuesink.com issuesink.com WanttoFailatBusiness? DoThisOneThing IT’S BITTERLY COLD in January, lots of rain and snow in February, March turns cold again and April starts with more rain and snow. It’s human nature to experience that weather and believe spring may never arrive and planting will be delayed. This “late spring” mentality creeps into farmers and ag businesses almost every year. It pushes back preparations and can create unnecessary stress. According to Iowa State University, farmers in Iowa can plant up to 1.4 million acres of corn per day. Planting at speeds of 10 miles per hour with 24 to 48-row planters allow farmers to cover more acres faster than ever before. Additionally, the average planting date has crept earlier as improved seed quality and seed treatments allow farmers to plant in cooler soils. Research has also shown that high yields are well correlated to earlier planting dates. Farmers are pushing the planting conditions, regardless of the weather, to take advantage of as much sunlight as pos- sible and to maximize farm profit. This all means that when it’s time to roll, everyone needs to be ready. Ensuring your preparations are done as early as possible will help you eliminate the late spring mentality and be best positioned to have a smooth, timely and successful spring. This year was a great example of late spring mentality in the Midwest. Snow blanketed much of Illinois in mid-April, yet planters were rolling about a week later. Farmers and ag businesses that fought off the late spring mentality and had prepped their equipment in freezing cold temperatures and shipped their products through blizzards reaped the rewards by being ready for a normal spring start. Those who prepared as if it would be a late spring weren’t able to react as quickly when the weather turned. This created unnecessary inefficiencies and pressure on their operation and supply chains. Eliminating the late spring mentality will ensure you are properly prepared for the rush of planting season. Your equipment checks will be completed, your seed and chemicals will be on site and you’ll be ready to roll as soon as condi- tions are fit. It might well be a late spring in your area, but always pre- paring for an early spring will ensure you’ll be ready to go no matter what the weather throws your way. JIM SCHWEIGERT GRO ALLIANCE PRESIDENT @jim_schweigert jim.schweigert@groalliance.com GroAlliance.com NeverPlanfora LateSpring